Dishwashing machine



1386- 1934- H. c. CARTER DISHWASHING MACHINE Filed April 24, 1931 m Z wWH ,5 x

Patented Dec. 11, 1934 v Haskell 0. Carter, Portland, Oreg. ApplicationApril '24, 1931, Serial No. 532,441

2 Claims.

This invention relates generally to dish washing machines, andparticularly to motor driven suction type machines.

The main object of this invention is to provide 5 an exceedingly simpleand efllcient form of dish washing machine which will thoroughly cleansethe dishes without any danger of breaking same, and without requiringthe dishes to be carefully placed in position, as is commonly necessaryin 10 machines of this character. V

The second object is to produce a dish washing machine which can be usedin connection with the ordinary sink, thereby taking advantage of thewater supply and waste connections provided 16 therein.

The third object is to provide a special form of basket for holding thedishes during the washing operation.

These, and other objects, will becomemore ap- 2 parent from thespecification following as illustrated in the accompanying drawing, inwhich: Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section through .the device.

Fig. 2 is a transverse section through a sink showing the washer inelevation.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section through a sink with a portion of thewasher broken away in section showing the action of the water.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a representative form of waste pipeclosure.

Fig. 5 is a vertical section taken along the line 5-5 in Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 illustrates an alternative arrangement in whieh the device isused as an attachment for 35 an ordinary vacuum sweeper.

Similar numbers of reference refer to similarparts throughout theseveral views.

Referring in detail to the drawing, there is 0 shown the ordinarykitchen sink 10 including the waste pipe -11 which, in this instance, isshown as being located in the middle of the sink. Over the strainer 12of the waste pipe 11 is placed a stopper 13 of flexible rubber whichwill make 45 same self-sealing. In order to make it possible to open thedrain of the sink there is provided a lifter 14 in the form of a wireprovided with a bent end 15 which journals in the walls of the stopper13. Normally the handle end of the 50 member 14 is upright and anappropriate move ment thereof causes a lifting action to be exertedagainst the stopper 13 and permits the water to escape. On sinks havinga side strainer the ordinary stopper may be employed. Obviously, 5 anyother form of closure for the sink waste pipe that will meet therequirements of this'invention will be satisfactory.

Referring particularly to my device same will be seen to consist of arectangular box-like 'struc-, ture whose end walls 16 are vertical, aswell as the lowerportions 17 of the side walls. The upper portions 18and 19 of the side walls 17 preferably slope inwardly for the purpose ofproviding clearance for the water faucets on one side and giving bettervisibility of the washing operation on the other side. The portion 19 isprovided with a transparency 20, through which the water level, as wellas the washing operation itself, may be easily observed. The end walls16 are provided with handles 21 for moving the device to and from thesink.

A flat top 22 joins the ends 16 and the sides 1 and 19. On the top 22 ismounted an electrically driven suction fan 23 provided with a downwardlycurved outlet 24. Current is supplied to the fan 23 through the flexiblecord 25. The fan 23 is similar to the type employed in the ordinaryvacuum cleaning device.

The entire structure is so supported that its lower edge 26 is raisedabove the bottom of the sink 10. It will be understood that there is nobottom to the box-like structure or shell itself.

The dishes are placed in a wire basket somewhat after the fashion ofrinsing and drying racks now in use, although it is preferable toprovide a lower basket 2'? in which are placed cups 28 and glasses 29 inan inverted position. A second tray 30 is placed on top of the cups andglasses in which are placed, in inclined positions, fiat dishes such assaucers 31 and plates 32.

The operation of the device is as follows: The dishes are stacked in thebaskets 27 and 30 and the washer is placed over same. The stopper 13 isput into position after which hot water is admitted to the sink and asuitable cleanser added. The fan 23 is then operated causing the waterin the sink 10 to be drawn under the edge 26 into the shell, preferablyto the extent of entirely submerging the dishes. This can be controlledto a nicety by merely admitting more water to the sink until the desiredlevel is attained. However, as soon as the water level in the sink 10has dropped to the edge 26 there commences at violent agitation of thewater within the washer, due to the passage of air therethrough, andthis action is not vertical alone, as might be generally supposed, butreciprocating as well, due to the alternate breaking of the seal at theopposite ends of the washer occasioned primarily. by the inclinedposition of the dishes themselves, as

well as an irregufarity in the level of the water occasioned by theviolent action taking place therein. The legs 33 are preferably ofrubber or soft material to prevent marring of the surfaces on which theyrest. r

In Fig. 6 there is shown a slight modification of the device in whichthe ordinary vacuum cleaner 34 is attached to a specially constructedwasher 35 by meanspf a. fitting 36. W v

It is desirable in either of the forms of the de! vice hereinillustrated to provide a column 37 between the top'22 and the fan 23 inorder to prevent water and'suds from being blown through the fan.Naturally this height will be controlled largely by the capacity of thefan 23.

After the dishes have been sufliciently washed the rinsing may beaccomplished by first lifting the washer from over the dishes and thensetting the basketful of dishes onto the drain board for rinsing in theordinary manner while other dishes are being washed in extra baskets,using the same water if desired. If this method is not to be followedthe dishes may be rinsed directly in the sink itself by opening thewaste pipe 11 while operating the fan to maintain agitation, allowingthe water to escape rapidly from the washer in order to carry away thesuds and any other substance which might be deposited loosely on thedishes, then rinsing out the sink 10 and admitting the desired amount ofrinsing water, after which the fan 23 is again operated and the drain llopened, as previously stated, for the purpose of allowing the water toescape rapidly from the dishes.

At first glance it might appear that, owing to the violence of theagitation, the washing operation would be destructive to the dishes, butin actual practice it is found that there exists a cushioning effect inthe water itself which protects even dishes of the most fragile nature.

It can be seen that by this construction a dish washer is provided whichis extremely simple to manufacture and which requires only a minimumamount of care in the arrangement of the dishes in the baskets in orderto prevent breakage.

I am aware that washing machines for clothes have been constructedemploying a somewhat similar principle but lacking means for holding thedishes and for preventing water and suds closed.

2. A dish washer comprising a kitchen sink having a sloping bottom, incombination with an elongated rectangular box having a completely openbottom and a closed top, the upper portions of whose longitudinal sidesslope inwardly in a manner to make the top or closed side of the boxnarrower than is the bottom thereof, means for exhausting air from theclosed end of said box, and means for supporting said box with its lowerend in spaced relation to the sloping bottom of the sink HASKEliL C.CARTER.

